1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates to a towing hitch mountable on a tow vehicle to facilitate towing a trailer.
2. Discussion of Background Art
In the recreational vehicle and manufactured housing industries, it is often necessary to tow a very heavy load with a tow vehicle. In order to tow these loads, special tow vehicles, or tractors, are used that are specially adapted for towing the load. For example, in the manufactured housing (MH) industry, homes are towed from place to place by the manufacturer, and so a tow vehicle is specially adapted for towing the homes. One such adaptation includes a specialized towing hitch on the rear of the tow vehicle that accommodates towing the homes.
The specialized hitch that may be used by the MH manufacturer in the above example must often be able to accommodate large loads in excess of several tons. The same hitch must also be capable of allowing the trailer undercarriage for the MH to be vertically shifted at the hitch point in order to facilitate attaching and detaching the MH from the tow vehicle. At other times, such as during transport, the tow hitch must be able to maintain the trailer in a set position relative to the tow vehicle. Finally, it is desirable that the tow hitch be simple in design to reduce fabrication costs, facilitate installation, and reduce maintenance costs.